It would appear we are close to creating, assembling or manufacturing (however one wants to put it!) "life". We are close to being able to make cells. It could be in a matter of months if there was the economic incentive, apparently. It is cheaper to proceed at present pace. Already the outer cell structure is being made. They are working on the inner structure. At present, they borrow living cell center material, but that would be able to be assembled later.

I suppose then it will be controversial---as new things always are---and the question raised as to whether it is really "life" or not! When they get it so it reproduces itself, I would say that is LIFE.

There is also an MIT website out there that has some DNA-based components that can be spliced into cells. What this means is that it's like an organic component database (akin to digikey.com), except that the expression of these genes would mean that suddenly you have some sort of resistor, motor, or other organic tool.

-- Ahh, finally. I had to go around and post five times with useless nonsense just to post this one message. Hope it's worth it.

There is also an MIT website out there that has some DNA-based components that can be spliced into cells. What this means is that it's like an organic component database (akin to digikey.com), except that the expression of these genes would mean that suddenly you have some sort of resistor, motor, or other organic tool.

-- Ahh, finally. I had to go around and post five times with useless nonsense just to post this one message. Hope it's worth it.